BEARING is also the situation of any distant object, estimated from some part of the ship according to her position. In this sense, an object so discovered must be either ahead, astern, abreast, on the bow, or on the quarter. These bearings, therefore, which may be termed mechanical, are on the beam, before the beam, abaft the beam, on the bow, on the quarter, ahead, or astern. If the ship sails with a side wind, it alters in some measure the names of such bearings, since a distant object on the beam is then said to be to leeward or to windward; on the lee-quarter or bow, and on the weather-quarter or bow.